Passing the Bipartisan Budget Agreement (BBA) was a critical step forward for our country, state, and community. Preventing a default is key to building our economy and maintaining American economic leadership in the world, and that is exactly why I voted to pass the BBA.

Here is why I voted for the BBA On Wednesday night:

This week we commemorated the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge. On the evening of May 23, 2013 a large truck traveling south on I-5 clipped the frame of the bridge and caused a span of the bridge to collapse into the river.

We were blessed that no one died or was injured in the collapse of the bridge. But in a heartbreaking accident eight days later, a Washington State Patrol Trooper, Sean O'Connell Jr., was killed while directing traffic in the aftermath of the bridge collapse.

Do you know what will decide the results of the next election?

The voters will decide.

That is why GOP extremists are making a concerted effort to make it harder to vote in the United States. They know their policies are not popular with the American people. Right now, Republican legislatures across the country have introduced at least 49 bills to restrict mail-in-voting, and another 61 bills have been introduced to restrict voting in person or to make it harder to register to vote.